War Against our Cowardise.

After my anger has started a definite shape and after making my mind calm, composed but keeping the terrorist attack a permanent resident of my brain, I am on to my blog sharing my views with people. Here you are welcome to comment and helping the discussion evolve to keep us determined to face the terrorists, (may be I will love to be a part of one on one fight with the terror) and discussing our prime duties towards our motherland. 

My partly settled views hint upon what as a common man I should do. Since, I am teaching postgraduate students, some points are applicable more to my profession.  However, one can take this input, may modify the actions to tailor make it according to one's occupation. 

1. I will keep the memories of 26/11 in my mind not allow to mending wounds in my heart. Though I am and always will be ready even to take one on one fight with the whatever kind of direct or indirect terror,  as a  mature citizen I will not react like an extremist. 
2. I will keep reminding my daughters and my students about the need of the time to get set go in the war against terror.
3. I will not criticise any politician unduly but I will also not be affraid of giving my bold views openly about what is expected from the leaders and which of their actions have harmed the Nation.
4. I believe that the majority of the  extremists are claiming to be Islamic, but I will never think the other way that Islam induces terror or Muslims are terrorists. I know of scores of my Muslim friends loving India and the very soil they share with us. At the same time, very politely and clearly I will state to my Muslim friends and to the fellow citizens in general, that certain verses in Qumran are intentionally misinterpreted by Muslim extremists so take hold of the Muslim uneducated mass. The so called Ulemas, Maulanas, and Qazies are taking disadvantage of this double meaning verses to keep the hatredness towards other religions, especially Hindus and Christians, in the heart of the laymen Muslim community. I will openly bring this to the notice of my friends without adding any bias. I will explain my educated Muslim friends that Muslim community needs the real education. 
5. I will propagate the message of peace to as many youngsters as I can reach at my level. 
6. I will tell them what the real patriotism means.
7. I will keep on analysing here the actions of politicians, the human right activists (the most dangerous animals on the earth), the traders of various religions, the teachers (the most inactive organ of the Indian society); and in doing so, I will keep myself as impartial and true to my belief as is expected from a teacher. Not all my posts here will be directly related to fight only the terrorism but to evolve a nation full of disciplined citizens.

With all the above (and may be some more points to be added later) in the centre of my discussion, I start with the sharing my thoughts at various levels of the 26/11 attack.

On 28/11 I shared my heart with my friends as follows: [What I add today are bracketed sentences]

26/11 is the worst ever attack by the militants. At the time of this post, still the operation is going on. Taj is evacuated [which turned out to be the false report by the media] but the Oberoi and Nariman House are still occupied by the Terrorists. There is no doubt about how well trained the group is and how the things were rehearsed. [this is one of the major evidences to assert that behind the terror there is a defense agency or personals of some defense agencies. I believe firmly that today it is proved by even FBI etc that these agencies are in Pakistan. What our government needs is to take bold action but not in any haste] As Ratan Tata pointed out [a news channel]  and is clear by now, the terrorists knew the whole geography of the Taj not only by maps but the way they roamed here and there shows that they must have visited Taj earlier. [Later some news agencies reported, without confirmation that there was one terrorist on his internship in TAJ fore about 10 months] So, should be the case for their counter part in Oberoi, Trident. The minute planning and its algorithmic execution by scores of terrorists confirms the training by a military agency. [What surprises me is that the official (and perhaps incorrect) number of terrorists is ten only!!!] Surely, it is backed by some foreign agency. On the other hand, the approach of the Indian task force deserves the salute and the tears in our eyes for Mr. Karkare, Vijay, Amte and scores of Jawans laying down their lives for us. [Later in my another post to my friends, I could share with them that the action was perhaps a hasty one]

At the same time, this is the occasion of shame for our politicians. Shame on you all who had inputs from the intelligence agencies, from the Gujarat Government but they did not care to verify even a single details excepts the claim that the government followed a close radio intervention on the coast. [The information was then reported chronologically by news agencies on TV.]

We, the people of India, feel the shame of having such a poor political will power of ALL the parties and bow down to each and every Jawan for their crucifixion in the Operation Black Tornado.

 

I am surely joined by all of you to pray for all the wellness of the country, May God save us from the worst politicians ever we have as our contemporary.

 

With heavy heart and tears,

 

Dinesh Karia

My mail to my friends on December 2, 2008

The following is an article in khaleejtimes written by Aijaz Zaka Syed, a reader from Dubai. The article could be found here 

It really describe the embarrassment

***************

Watching the terror nightmare unfold in Mumbai over the past three days with me on television, my kids have repeatedly asked me: "Who are these terrorists and why are they doing this?" And every time I wished I could offer them a convincing answer.

What could I tell them? For one, I was equally clueless why these guys had taken over India's financial and cultural capital and were targeting people who had nothing to do with them and had done nothing to harm them.  

For two, I was too ashamed to tell them these guys were ostensibly Muslims and came from a country that was created in the name of Islam.  

At work, while my colleagues went about covering the madness in Mumbai and laying out special pages with the images of the incredibly beautiful hotel, Taj, with its Islamic arches and domes, go up in smoke, I find it hard to look my colleagues in the eye. 

And this happens all the time. Every time innocents are targeted in the name of Islam around the world, one can't face one's non-Muslim friends and colleagues.  I feel like burying myself in the ground.  Growing up in a religious family, one never thought one would see the day when being a Muslim could be a source of shame. [Remember this written by a Muslim]

A distraught friend who has devoted her life to speaking and fighting on behalf of Arabs and Muslims wrote in yesterday saying "I've had it with the Arabs and Muslims and Islamic militancy. Forgive me but I am throwing in the towel."

I couldn't write back to her but understood her pain.  She grew up in Mumbai and is understandably upset. 

My friend went on to say: "The Muslims and Islam have a problem and only they can solve it.  If they do not, the whole world will turn against them."

If this is how our most loyal friends feel, imagine the sentiments and reactions of the rest of the world.  Can you blame the world if it's turning against Muslims? What do you expect when not a single day passes without the name of our faith being dragged through the mud by fellow believers around the world? [Again recall that this is a part of an article by a Muslim living in a Muslim country.]

How many innocents have to die in the name of Islam before Muslim leaders and countries take effective action to deal with the nuts, who are out to destroy us all with their nihilistic cult?

I know that the Muslim leaders including those in the highest echelons of power have lately started speaking out against the extremists. 

Darul Uloom Deoband in India, one of the oldest and most respected centres of learning in the Muslim world, issued a fatwa against terrorism at a large gathering of Islamic scholars and leaders in June.  Last month, nearly 5,000 scholars backed the edict at a huge congregation in Hyderabad. 

The OIC, the organisation of Muslim states, and Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Arab-Islamic world, have of late been equally vehement in condemning these repulsive acts of violence targeting innocents. 

Eminent Muslim intellectuals and journalists like Tariq Ramadan, a grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan Al Banna, and India's MJ Akbar and numerous others too have repeatedly protested this distortion of Islamic teachings and spirit.  

[This reminds me of the following 1984 composition of Boney M. 

Somewhere in the
world there is peace of mind. Somewhere in the
world that's what I must find. Somewhere in the
world there's a place for me in this world. I
cannot believe it, everywhere I see lonely faces.
Why have we no answers, just some more empty places? ]

These calls of conscience on behalf of mainstream Islam have however proved voices in the wilderness.  Clearly, we need to do more to be heard by the world and to stop this shameful victimisation of innocent people in the name of religion.

The great irony of the Mumbai attacks is the killing of Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare and his colleagues.  Karkare, a brave and decorated officer investigating the Malegaon blasts and other recent terror attacks that he established to be the handiwork of Hindu extremists, not Muslim groups like SIMI, was killed by the terrorists outside Cama hospital Wednesday night.   Obviously, Muslims do not know who their real friends and enemies are. And, pray, why is India increasingly being singled out for this savagery?  What do they think this country is? A Hindu country or an anti-Muslim nation? 

Do the ignorant dummies repeatedly being sent out on the so-called jihad know that this great country is home to the world's largest Muslim population? Almost twice the size of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan!  India's greatest superstar is a Muslim, not to mention the countless achievers in other fields. 

Why are our friends across the border bent on destroying the whole world with themselves? Is this what Islam and the noble Prophet teach and stand for?

It's all very well for us to say Islam has nothing to do with extremism and terrorism.  We can go on deluding ourselves these psychopaths do not represent us. 

However, the world finds it hard to accept this line of argument because it sees the extremists increasingly assert themselves and take the centre-stage while the mainstream Islam remains silent.   

The great religion that preaches and celebrates universal brotherhood, equality of men and peace and justice for all has been hijacked by a demented, miniscule minority. And, as my friend says, only Muslims can solve this problem.  Only Muslims can confront these anarchists in their midst. 

Only they can get their faith freed from the clutches of extremism. This is no time to hide. It's time to stand up and speak out. For the terrorists will continue to speak on our behalf, until we do not speak up.  This is no time for silence.  Enough is enough!

*************** his article ends here ***************

More Later.